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When Mercer Botanic Gardens joined the Center for Plant Conservation (CPC) in 1989, it made a pledge to protect some of the country’s most imperiled plants. In late August, Hurricane Harvey put that pledge to the test.
At the time, Mercer maintained about 30 plant species for the CPC’s National Collection of Endangered Plants. Many of these plants are grown in Mercer’s Conservation Nursery, Endangered Species and Native Plant Garden, and Prairie Dawn Preserve, while their seed is preserved at Mercer Botanical

When two major floods struck Mercer less than two years apart, one message became clear: Mercer needs a master plan.
“This is the perfect opportunity to reimagine and rebuild Mercer stronger than before,” said Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner R. Jack Cagle. “Mercer wasn’t built to handle severe flooding. We can fix that this time around.”
Since 1982, Mercer has experienced flooding of different degrees once or twice every decade. With the likelihood of flooding expected to increase, The Mercer Society

For decades, Mercer Botanic Gardens served as a sanctuary for all varieties of plants. When Hurricane Harvey struck, floodwaters up to 8 feet high swept through the greenhouses, overturning tables and displacing hundreds of plants.
When news of Hurricane Harvey’s destruction broke, botanic gardens from across the country contacted Mercer to offer help and botanical specimens. Now, Mercer staff and volunteers are determined to rebuild stronger than before.
Missouri Botanical Garden sent horticulturists,